Learning through Disney World’s parks and attractions is a fun way to supplement your homeschool lessons. In this blog post we’re focusing on Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. The festival is located in Walt Disney World Resort and features both food and drinks options from all over the world!
The festival usually has many areas where you can learn about different cultures through food samples and tastings as well as demonstrations from chefs from around the world.
In addition to scrumptious fare from the 11 original countries in Epcot, there are many other countries represented like Australia, Scotland and Puerto Rico. Each booth has several small plate options to choose from. Of course there are several drink options both with and without alcohol in them, but most of the non-alcoholic versions aren’t really tied into the culture of the country, so we usually skip them.
Countries/Geography at the Food & Wine Festival
There are 22 regions or countries represented at Walt Disney World during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
Countries With A Booth
- Africa
- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hawaii
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Patagonia
- Poland
- Puerto Rico
- Scotland
- Singapore
- South Korea
With so many great areas and countries, you can see how planning a visit during the festival makes for a great hands-on geography unit.
Geography in the World Showcase
Any time your family visits the World Showcase there are plenty of interesting things to do that help you get a better idea of what the food, clothing, and culture is like in each country.
A few ways to do this are:
- Watch the films in each country.
- Try foods that are native to the area.
- Visit the shop to see what people wear from the country.
- Talk to cast members and ask them about their experience and what home life is like where they are from. In case you didn’t know, Disney hires people from that country to work in the respective spots in Epcot.
- Study the buildings in each area to see how they differ from what structures look like in your area. A great example of this is the grass on the roofs in the Norway pavilion.
- Enjoy the entertainment in each area. They typically highlight acts, music, and traditions that are popular in the region.
Geography during Food & Wine Festival
These activities can be done before you visit Epcot or during downtime on your vacation. If you can’t get to the Food and Wine Festival this year, no worries! Add in a craft and a recipe from the country and you can experience the magic at home!
- Have each child pick a country or two and locate them on the map.
- Research the following topics: food, clothing, traditions, and interesting facts.
- During lunch, each child presents their research while the others jot down notes on their notebook pages.
During your visit:
- Go to the chosen countries first & get one of each food dish. Let everyone taste a bit of each or let each person choose whatever sounds best if you have picky eaters.
- Make your observations out loud then jot down notes in your passport from the Festival Center.
- Time to visit the next country!
Additional Learning Opportunities at Epcot
As with the Flower and Garden Festival, the festival center has plenty of learning opportunities as well. Disney offers free classes in addition to paid classes. If you’re not sure about taking a paid class, you can still sit in the area surrounding it and listen to the class. You won’t get a sample of what they prepare, but it’s still a great way to learn. We’ve listened to many famous chef this way.
This festival really is a phenomenal way to cement geography in your children’s mind with hands-on learning experiences. Which country is your favorite?
Be sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see how we homeschool through the countries this year.
